


lost in translation

by fictionalinfinity



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrimouse, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Kwami Swap, Mouse Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Multimouse, multinoir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26691859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionalinfinity/pseuds/fictionalinfinity
Summary: “What do you mean I can’t be Ladybug anymore?”“I’m sorry, Marinette. With Hawkmoth at large, it’s simply too dangerous for the Miracle Box and the Ladybug Miraculous to be in the same place. If something were to happen...”-In which Marinette has to give up the Ladybug Miraculous, and decides Adrien Agreste is the perfect choice for the new holder.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 31
Kudos: 264
Collections: September 2020 - Fulfill A Prompt





	lost in translation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Missnoodles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missnoodles/gifts).



> Hi this was supposed to be pure crack but y’all know me, I have to make things angsty. Special thanks to [Missnoodles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missnoodles/pseuds/Missnoodles) for the amazing prompt and to [silv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMoonSky/pseuds/SilverMoonSky%E2%80%9D%20=rel=) for being the best beta on the planet. Seriously. <3

Marinette hadn't expected to become the Guardian quite so soon in her life. When Fu had begun preparing her for the role, she'd never imagined this, but despite the enormous weight of responsibility, there were some upsides to it.

Like, for example, how she got the opportunity to get to know many of the kwamis she hadn’t met before. Of course, she always let them out of the Miracle Box after her parents had gone to bed. She still wasn’t sure what mischief all of them were capable of yet, and didn’t want to risk any slip-ups in broad daylight. 

Another upside was all the help Marinette was getting on her homework. It was surprisingly useful to have someone who was there at the discovery of said topic to explain it to you. Of course, she’d already gotten a little bit of that from Tikki, but now the amount of help she was getting had increased tenfold. 

Things were looking up! Marinette still missed Fu, and she was aware there was so much she didn’t yet know about being a Guardian, but with Chat Noir and the kwamis at her side, she was sure she could figure it out. 

However, it was about two weeks into the job when all of that got flipped on its head. 

Her parents had gone to bed about thirty minutes earlier, and Marinette was getting ready to let some of the kwamis out for the evening. But just as she got to her feet to go open the box, Tikki flew in front of her with a solemn look on her face. 

“Tikki? Is everything alright?” Marinette asked, surprised to see the kwami look so downtrodden. Suddenly, she began to feel a little nervous. 

“I need to tell you something, Marinette,” Tikki answered. Her eyes widened at the sound of the kwami’s serious tone. 

Marinette cleared her throat uncomfortably. “What is it?” She finally asked. 

“Wayzz and I have been talking recently, about your roles as Ladybug and the Guardian. You see, he knows much more about what Fu had intended, and he’s been able to share some of it with me. With that, and some of the things we’ve talked about…” Tikki trailed off. Marinette could almost hear her own quick pulse thumping as it dawned on her just what the kwami was about to say. 

“You can’t be Ladybug anymore.”

“Wh-what do you mean I can’t be Ladybug anymore?” Marinette choked out, her hands coming up to fondle with the studs resting in her ears. A cold feeling of unease washed over her. 

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” Tikki sighed, her face apologetic. “With Hawkmoth at large, it’s simply too dangerous for the Miracle Box and the Ladybug Miraculous to be in the same place. If something were to happen…”

“B-but, why do I have to stop being Ladybug? Tikki, I’m not ready for that! Why not have me give up the Guardianship instead?” Marinette asked, her voice rising high. She couldn’t believe what her kwami was saying. 

Tikki wanted Marinette to just give her up?

“It’s just not possible. If you gave up the Guardianship, you would forget everything. You wouldn’t be able to be Ladybug then anyway,” Tikki explained, her voice gentle but her words unforgiving. 

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She tried not to be sick at the thought of it as Tikki paused. She was kind enough to give her a moment of silence to take it in. 

“...how soon?” Marinette finally asked, her voice hollow. Tikki looked away for a moment, as if afraid to look her in the eye as she answered. A sick feeling churned in Marinette’s gut. She realized the answer wouldn’t be good.

“As soon as you can find a new holder,” Tikki admitted quietly. 

Marinette failed to reply, simply staring forward unseeingly as the weight of the kwami’s words settled over her.

_ As soon as you can find a new holder. _

That wasn’t a lot of time at all. It left her with a few days at most, before she would be forced to give up a part of herself. 

Marinette selfishly wished she could stall and pretend not to know who to hand the Miraculous over to. It wasn’t like Tikki could begrudge her the time to make the right decision - a wrong one could be disastrous - but not only would it be a betrayal of the kwami, but a betrayal of the time Marinette had spent as Ladybug. 

To end all of that good with a lie… It was unthinkable. Marinette simply couldn’t do it. 

Besides, she already knew  _ exactly _ who to give the Ladybug Miraculous to. 

Adrien Agreste. 

Of course, there were tons of options. Like Alya, for example. She was resourceful and certainly knew about the miraculous. She’d made a great hero before. However, Alya was stubborn. If she didn’t like something, she simply refused to do it. She liked doing things  _ her _ way. That could be disastrous when it came to the Lucky Charm.

On the other hand, Adrien would make a  _ perfect _ holder. He was kind, compassionate, hard working… He hadn’t been suited to the snake miraculous, but maybe he  _ was _ suited to Ladybug. It would make sense, Marinette thought. 

Adrien didn’t like to give up. The sheer number of times he had used Second Chance  _ \- 25,913 times - _ proved that. He had tried until he simply couldn’t, and then he tried  _ again. _ That was a good quality in a Ladybug, constantly faced with new challenges.

Of course, he had to be creative too. If every single one of those 25,913 Second Chances had been the trial of a new idea, that meant Adrien could think under pressure and come up with unique solutions to what would be unanswerable questions. That would suit him well when he worked with Lucky Charms. 

Yes, it had to be Adrien.

-

Marinette had decided not to open up the Miracle Box that night, knowing it was to be her last with Tikki. When she went to sleep that night, Marinette would give her farewells to Tikki before removing the Miraculous earrings and tucking them away. Tomorrow was Saturday, however, she would find a way to get the earrings to Adrien without school. It would make it easier for everyone if Adrien had as much time as possible to practice and get the hang of things. 

And then of course, there was Chat Noir. Her beloved Minou. How was she going to tell him?

If she asked to see him in person, Marinette didn’t think she would be able to go through with giving the earrings away. Chat always had a way with words. If she gave him the chance, Marinette knew he would convince her to keep the earrings and find a different solution. 

All it ever took was some encouraging words and a tender hug before Marinette became like putty in her partner’s hands. 

Marinette knew she couldn’t allow that to happen, however much she might want to. Tikki and the other kwamis were right. If her identity were ever compromised, too many things could go wrong with both the Ladybug Miraculous and the Miracle Box in one place. 

However, Marinette had to find a way to tell Chat somehow. The most obvious solution was to leave him a message, but how could she even begin to tell him she was leaving?

“Tikki?” Marinette called. The kwami flew over to her quickly, ready to listen. “I need to call Chat. Can... you transform me?”

Tikki smiled, albeit a bit sadly. “Of course, Marinette. You know the words.”

Marinette nodded with a smile of her own before calling on her transformation. The pink glamour washed over her with the familiar feeling of a warm embrace. She winced at the pang in her heart, knowing it was likely the last time she would transform for a long time to come. 

Ladybug’s communicator rested comfortably against her hip. She tenderly grabbed it and slid it open. From the look of the screen, Chat didn’t seem to be transformed. 

Ladybug breathed a sigh of relief at that before climbing to her balcony. It wouldn’t do well to have her bright pink walls in the background of the call she was about to make. 

With the city lights comfortably at her back, Ladybug pressed call. The communicator rang for a few beats before sending her to voicemail like she knew it would. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to deliver the news.

“H-Hi, Chaton,” Ladybug began to speak, surprised by the wobbliness to her voice. She cleared her throat before continuing. 

“I hope you’re doing okay. I’m… I’m calling to give you some bad news, Chat. I can’t be Ladybug anymore,” Ladybug paused. The admission felt heavy against her tongue, but she pressed onward, explaining why she had to give up the Miraculous. “Tikki told me tonight, and... her reasoning makes sense.” 

“But don’t worry!” Ladybug added with false cheeriness, hoping her smile didn’t look as fake as it felt. “I’m still the Guardian, so you’ll see me around every now and then. And you’re going to get along great with the new holder, trust me. He’ll.. He’ll appreciate your puns, I think,” she chuckled sadly. 

“Well, um… I guess this is it, then,” Ladybug deflated. “I want you to know… becoming your partner was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, Chaton. I’m really going to miss you.”

Unsure of what else to say, she sniffed loudly, giving the camera one final wave before ending the call. 

The communicator went dark with a strange sense of finality, and Ladybug snapped it closed, retreating back into her bedroom with a heavy heart. 

Marinette spoke the words to release her transformation. She caught Tikki in her hands as the kwami flew out of her earrings. She looked up at Marinette, eyes wide. 

“Did he pick up?” She asked. 

Marinette shook her head. “No, he didn’t. It’s... probably for the best.”

“I know you’ll miss being his partner, Marinette, but you’ll see him again! Like I said, you’re still the Guardian. It’s not like you can’t use another Miraculous when you need to either,” Tikki reassured. 

“Another…” Marinette trailed off, gasping. She’d used another Miraculous before when she became Multimouse. It had practically gone off without a hitch, and the powers were amazing! Besides, it was a separate identity from Ladybug, so no one would suspect a thing.

“Oh, Tikki, that’s perfect! I can become Multimouse again! That way I can be close to Adrien  _ and _ Chat Noir!”

_ “What?!” _ Tikki shrieked, her pretense of calm evaporating. 

Marinette instantly deflated. “I… can’t?” She asked. 

Tikki opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking horrified. Finally, she found her voice. 

“You want to give the Ladybug Miraculous to Adrien? Adrien Agreste?” Tikki asked. 

Marinette frowned. “Wait, that’s what you had a problem with? Not with me being Multimouse?”

Tikki nodded. 

“What? Why don’t you like Adrien? Is it because I have a crush on him?” Marinette probed, feeling hurt that Tikki had rejected her choice like that. 

She thought back to all of the reasons Adrien would make a great holder. All of it seemed so clear to her, so why could Tikki see it? He would be a  _ great _ Ladybug!

Marinette didn’t understand why Tikki couldn’t see all of that too. Usually, the kwami was much more insightful. 

“It’s not that I don’t like Adrien, I do!” Tikki reassured, her tone sounding forced. “It’s just… he’s…” She trailed off, bubbles spewing from her lips. Marinette’s eyes widened. 

“Tikki? Are you alright?” She gasped, watching as the bubbles floated upwards till they popped. Marinette had never seen that happen to her kwami before. What did it mean?

“I’m fine!” Tikki answered quickly. “I just don’t think giving Adrien the Ladybug Miraculous is the smartest idea, Marinette…”

Marinette sighed, unsure of how to change her kwami’s mind. “Well, I think he’d make a good holder. I’ve only been wrong once, but I think this time I’m making the right choice. Adrien’s time as Aspik proves it,” she said. “He’ll make a good Ladybug, and he’ll treat you right. He won’t give up his identity either. He’s never tried to tell anyone about being Aspik!”

“That is… all true…” Tikki begrudgingly admitted, avoiding looking at Marinette in the eye. “Still, I just don’t think-”

“Tikki,” Marinette cut her off. “Trust me, this is the right choice. I don’t want to argue with you on our last night together, please.” 

“Alright,” Tikki gave in lamely. “Let’s not argue.”

Marinette smiled, bringing the kwami up towards her face so she could give her a kiss on the forehead. “Oh, thank you!”

The rest of the night passed too quickly, and although Tikki didn’t verbally protest, Marinette could feel the tension still lingering between the two of them. However, she didn’t dare acknowledge it. She wanted to spend their night peacefully. 

When it was time to put the earrings away, Tikki bid her a tearful but sweet farewell. 

“We’ll see each other again,” Tikki promised, hovering closely. “Trust me. This isn’t goodbye.”

“Al-Alright,” Marinette sniffed. “Then… I’ll see you soon, Tikki.” Her kwami smiled. 

“I’ll see you soon, Marinette,” Tikki replied, before fading from existence as she snapped the lid of the box closed. 

The silence was almost deafening. Marinette quickly put the little box aside, unable to look at it any longer. She wasn’t ready to acknowledge that her time as Ladybug had come to an end. 

That night, her thoughts were ominous, and her dreams were sorrowful as she flitted into an unrestful slumber.

-

  
  


Marinette rose to the sunlight streaming through the skylight. She sleepily rolled over and mumbled a greeting to Tikki before realizing empty space remained where the kwami usually slept. Her heart plummeted. 

She didn’t want to waste any more time, though. Marinette forced the sad thoughts away and climbed down the step ladder, heading towards the Miracle Box. She didn’t bother getting properly dressed, knowing she was going to transform. 

Marinette opened the box, grabbing the necklace belonging to Mullo. She slipped it around her neck and watched as the kwami sparked to life. 

“Hi there, Marinette! You ready to become a mouse again?” Mullo greeted cheerfully. Marinette laughed at her eagerness. 

“I think I’m going to take on the role a bit more permanently, if you don’t mind,” she replied, and the kwami whooped joyfully. 

“Well, we make a good team! I’m sure you remember the words?”

Marinette nodded in reply before calling for her transformation. 

A familiar but different magic washed over Marinette. Unlike Tikki’s warm embrace of creation, Mullo’s eagerness and energy surrounded her. It left her feeling bouncy and anxious to move, and despite the lethargy that Tikki’s absence had left behind, Marinette found it all felt a little more bearable once transformed. However, her heart panged at the thought that she wouldn’t see the red and black polka-dotted suit when she looked into the mirror. 

Once transformed, Multimouse grabbed hold of the Ladybug Miraculous and climbed to her balcony. She stared ahead, a bit uncertain of how to proceed. As Ladybug, she’d always relied on her yo-yo to get around. As Multimouse, she had no such tool. 

Multimouse cautiously climbed onto her balcony railing. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she jumped. 

She landed roughly against the neighboring roof, not having expected to touch down. When she’d jumped, she felt powerfully agile, like she could jump any distance relying on her own strength.

Perhaps the reason Multimouse didn’t have a tool was that she didn’t  _ need _ one. 

Feeling much more confident, Multimouse took another leap. Then another, and another, and another until she’d hit her rhythm, bouncing easily across rooftops. Before she knew it, she was balanced on Adrien Agreste’s windowsill. Nervously, she knocked. 

The window swung open at her touch and Multimouse blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected it to open so easily. She jumped inside, landing lightly against the floor. 

“...Hello?” Multimouse called. 

Movement from the bed caught her attention. Adrien sat up suddenly sputtering, his hair a wild mess as he stared forward unseeingly. His hands were held in front of him clenched tightly into fists as if prepared to fend off an attacker. 

_ Cute, _ Multimouse thought. 

“Ma… Mu… What _?” _ Adrien gasped. Multimouse nodded shyly. 

“Hello, Adrien,” she greeted. “Can I speak with you for a moment?” Adrien nodded quickly, seemingly unable to get his jaw closed. When Multimouse took a step closer it seemed to jar him into action. He sprung out of bed and approached her. 

“My name’s Multimouse,” she introduced, realizing Adrien likely had no idea who she was. “I’m not an akuma, I promise. Ladybug sent me.”

“Ladybug?” Adrien gasped. “What does Ladybug want with, well…  _ me?” _ He stuttered, his cheeks rosy red. 

Multimouse swallowed uncomfortably. She couldn’t exactly give Ladybug’s usual hero ‘great power comes with great responsibility blah blah blah’ spiel. She would have to do something else. 

“Ladybug has to… step away for a while. At least until things are safer. She’s asked me to become a full time hero, and to give you this,” Multimouse explained, pulling out the simple box containing the earrings. She presented them to Adrien. 

Adrien’s eyes widened and he stepped back warily. “Ma- Multimouse… what is this?” He asked, his tone startlingly low. 

“Open it, please. Ladybug trusts you. You’re the best person for the job!”

Adrien glanced warily between the box, herself, and the necklace resting on her collar. Finally he reached forward, taking the box into his hands. He opened it. 

Instantaneously, a bright red and pink light sparked to life. Tikki came zipping out of the box, landing unceremoniously in Adrien’s hand. 

“Hello, Adrien Agreste. My name is Tikki, the kwami of creation. It’s nice to… see you,” Tikki grit out, smiling scarily wide. Multimouse shot the kwami a suspicious glance.  _ What was she doing? _

“Nice to… meet you, Tikki,” Adrien replied equally as strange. “Multimouse says Ladybug is… stepping away?”

Tikki nodded. “Multimouse is telling the truth, Adrien. It’s the only choice we have. Not to worry, though, Ladybug left a message for  _ Chat Noir _ that explains everything!”

“Ohhhh,” Adrien replied, as if realizing something. “I’m sure that’ll be enlightening… for  _ Chat, _ I mean! I’m sure he’ll listen to it as soon as he can.”

Multimouse frowned. “Are you two… alright?”

“We’re fine, Multimouse, thank you! Maybe you should be getting home now? I can help Adrien here get acclimated,” Tikki suggested. 

“Okay, if you’re sure…” Multimouse replied. She looked between the two of them one final time, hoping to catch a glimpse of what silent messages had just been shared between them. There was no such luck. “I guess I’ll be going then.”

Multimouse turned around to leave, hopping up onto the windowsill. Just as she was about to make her jump, however, something strong tugged against her rope tail. She went sprawling, landing on top of whatever her tail had caught on. 

Beneath her, Adrien Agreste groaned. 

“Oh, I’m  _ so _ sorry!” Multimouse exclaimed, clambering off of him. “Are you alright?!”

She offered him a hand up and he took it, using her weight to support himself. He was surprisingly strong. 

“I’m fine,” Adrien chuckled with a grimace. “I didn’t mean to pull so hard, so I guess it’s my fault…”

“No, no, it’s alright! I’ve… er, I’ve seen Ladybug pull on Chat’s tail before. This wasn’t nearly as bad as that has looked sometimes. Trust me, you’re perfect. I MEAN, I’m perfect! Er, you’re fine. Wait no! I’m...  _ I’m _ fine,” Multimouse replied quickly to reassure him. Internally her stomach did somersaults at the word vomit, until a thought struck her.

Only Ladybug was allowed to pull on Chat Noir’s tail. Multimouse, however, did  _ not _ have that right. Would she ever get to pull on her Chaton’s tail again? The thought seemed silly, but was unexpectedly painful. 

When Multimouse blinked the thoughts away, she realized Adrien was staring at her silently, his cheeks dusted crimson. Multimouse looked away, her own cheeks burning hot. She cleared her throat. 

“Did you um… need something? You kinda, y’know, pulled on the tail.”

“What?” Adrien blinked lazily before suddenly snapping to attention. “Right, sorry! I just had a question, that’s all.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I was wondering… why did Ladybug have you deliver this? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of secret identities?” Adrien asked gently, although his furrowed brow showed he wasn’t as calm as he wanted to appear. 

Multimouse choked on her own spit.  _ She hadn’t thought that far ahead. _ What could she say to that? 

“Multimouse is trustworthy,” Tikki interjected, effectively saving all of them from her shoddy attempt at an explanation. While Adrien wasn’t looking, the kwami shot Multimouse a  _ look. _

“Ladybug trusts her too, but she couldn’t have brought the earrings here herself without revealing her identity,” Tikki explained. 

“Does that mean…  _ Multimouse _ knows Ladybug’s identity?” Adrien asked slowly, turning to look at her as his skin lost its color. 

Multimouse laughed loudly. “Well, would you look at the time! I need to start getting ready for school! Goodbye Adrien, Tikki! I’ll see you later!” She exclaimed, turning around and making a hasty retreat. 

Multimouse most definitely ignored Adrien’s pitiful cry of “But it’s Saturday!”

-

Marinette spent the weekend running. Running from surreptitious taps against her skylight, running from texts from Adrien, and running from updates from the Ladyblog on  _ Chat’s Lonely Patrol. _

She especially hated that last one. 

Monday came all too soon. Marinette groaned as her alarm buzzed angrily, rolling over to silence it. She fumbled around blindly until she found the off button. 

“Good morning!” Mullo greeted. Marinette offered the kwami a small wave, too tired to form a coherent greeting. Her brain would just have to catch up later. 

Lazily, she climbed out of bed and down the ladder. She got dressed quietly, grabbed a quick snack, and was out the door in a matter of minutes. 

Alya waited for her on the school steps, practically bouncing. When she spotted Marinette, she leapt to her feet. 

“Morning, girl! You’re not going to  _ believe _ the scoop I’ve got for you this time!”

“What? What’s happened?” Marinette asked, wondering what could possibly have Alya so excited at eight in the morning. 

_ “Adrien! _ That boy asked me about you as soon as he got here. He told me to tell you he’s waiting for you in the library!” Alya exclaimed. Marinette suddenly found herself feeling much more awake. 

_ “What?” _ Marinette shrieked. An incoherent string of words tumbled from her lips, but Alya didn’t seem to care. In fact, she screeched right alongside her. 

“You better get a move on, Marinette,” Alya finally said. “It’s almost time for class! You don’t want to miss him. We can scream later.”

Marinette nodded quickly, bidding Alya a quick goodbye as she dashed up the stairs towards the library. Internally, her mind raced, wondering why Adrien had asked to see her. She had no idea what to expect. 

Adrien sat at one of the empty tables in the corner, leaning over his phone with a furrow in his brow. Marinette peeked at his ears, only to find the Ladybug Miraculous were missing. 

Why wasn’t he wearing them? Surely Tikki would’ve explained to him that the Miraculous had to be worn at all times. Did he not have pierced ears? No, she’d seen him wear some in a photoshoot before, so that couldn’t be it.

Could it be that he didn’t  _ want _ the Miraculous?

The thought made Marinette weak at the knees, fearing that she’d chosen wrong once more, but when Adrien looked up at her, she had to force herself to pull her thoughts together. 

“H-hey,” she greeted timidly. “Alya said you wanted to speak with me?”

“Hi, Marinette,” Adrien greeted with a weary voice. “That’s right. I do need to ask you something.”

Marinette frowned at the tone of his voice. She momentarily forgot how anxious she’d been just a moment ago, instead being in favor of worrying for him. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to find a way to get in touch with Ladybug. Would you… know anything about that?” Adrien asked her. Marinette’s eyes widened. 

“Wh-what? Why would I know how to do that?” She blanched. “You should ask Alya, she knows more than me-”

_ “Please, _ Marinette,” Adrien pleaded, his voice thick with emotion. “I really need your help!”

“Why do you need to talk to Ladybug anyway, Adrien?” Marinette asked, forcing herself to act aloof. As much as it broke her heart to notice the bags under his eyes and the glistening tears, she couldn’t show any sign of understanding. 

“She gave me… something, but it was a mistake! I need to return it to her and explain.”

“I’m sorry, Adrien. I wish I could help you…” Marinette told him, her words carrying a heavier weight than he could no. She had forced the role upon him, and he didn’t want it. 

She’d chosen wrong.  _ Again _ . 

How was she going to fix it?

Glancing away uncomfortably, she cleared her throat. “Like I said, you can… ask Alya. She’d probably know how to help you. Good luck getting it all sorted.”

Adrien’s disappointed gaze was piercing, and Marinette couldn’t help but feel like she’d failed some secret test. In an instant, however, he schooled his expression into a calm mask, quietly thanked her, and left.

There was no time for Marinette to have the internal freakout she so desperately craved, so she settled for anxiously rubbing at her empty earlobes and sprinting to class. As she ran, the Mouse Miraculous bounced rhythmically against her collarbone, a steady reminder of what was missing and the void it wasn’t filling. 

Once she’d arrived in the classroom, she noticed that Alya’s earlier excitement had fizzled. Instead, her friend was glancing worriedly between Marinette and Adrien. Her eyes seemed to ask,  _ ‘what happened?’. _

Marinette sighed and shook her head, a signal that she’d tell her later. Alya nodded once before turning back to face the teacher who was just beginning to take attendance. 

School passed slowly. Marinette was forced to stare at Adrien’s hand and his glaringly empty ear lobes. He frequently glanced back up at her, and Marinette would frantically look away to pretend she hadn’t just been obsessing over him. 

At lunch, Marinette gave Alya the quick and censored run down of what had happened in the library. She explained that he had simply wanted to know how to get in touch with Ladybug, and that Marinette had sent him Alya’s way. She told her best friend to expect to hear from him soon. 

Alya accepted it easily enough, although she seemed baffled by the fact that Adrien hadn’t come to her in the first place. Marinette shrugged and pretended she didn’t know. 

After that, patrol came all too soon. Marinette realized she probably needed to meet up with Chat Noir and work on how to retrieve the Ladybug Miraculous. It was the second time she’d chosen wrong, so perhaps it was a good idea to get Chat involved in the choice. 

“Mullo? Are you ready?” Marinette asked, glancing over at the little mouse kwami. Mullo nodded eagerly, zipping up in front of her face. 

“Just say the words, Marinette!”

Marinette smiled in thanks before calling on her transformation. The pink light washed over her and left Multimouse standing in her place. She quickly leapt to her balcony and took to the skies, following the path she’d so often taken as Ladybug. 

The city lights reflected off of the liquid midnight pools of Chat Noir’s suit, casting an ethereal glow. He stood silent and stoic as he gazed longingly over the Champ de Mars. Multimouse could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves. 

“Chat Noir?” She probed quietly. 

Chat’s shoulders rose to his chin at the sound of her voice. his tail lashed out sharply before he turned around to face her. His glowing green eyes held a somber weight she’d never seen in them before, and the corners of his mouth were downturned. 

Multimouse recoiled. What had happened to her Chaton?

“Marinette,” Chat greeted simply, the lines on his mask crinkling as he frowned. Multimouse flinched at the sound of her real name, not having expected it. Chat didn’t seem to notice. 

“You know where Ladybug is, don’t you?”

“I, um… I don’t think…” Multimouse glanced away nervously, unsure of what to say. 

_ “Please _ don’t lie. Ladybug is my partner and I  _ need _ to talk to her. The fate of Paris could depend on it,” Chat implored. “Marinette…” He choked up, his voice catching on her name before he quickly turned around to wipe at his eyes. 

Multimouse felt her heart fracture into pieces at the sight of her partner in tears. She longed for the sense of familiarity that he and Ladybug had shared. If she were clad in her red and black spotted suit, perhaps he would have allowed her to wrap him up in a hug. 

Unable to stop herself at the sight of her partner, Multimouse admitted with a heavy sigh, "I know how to get in contact with her, yes. Today I… discovered that the new holder she’s chosen doesn’t want the earrings. She’s sent me to collect them.”

Chat didn’t even seem bothered by the latter half of her explanation, immediately grasping onto the fact that she knew how to get in touch with Ladybug. The tension in his face smoothed away, leaving behind a cautious hope. His eyes widened. 

“Marinette,” Chat breathed her name like a prayer. “I need you to tell Ladybug something for me, please.”

“Anything,” Multimouse replied instantly, before blinking in surprise. She hadn’t meant to do that. 

“Tell her I have a way to fix things, one where she can keep being Ladybug. Tell her that she needs to get in contact with me and I’ll explain everything.”

Multimouse found herself nodding along with his words. “I… I’ll tell her, I promise. First we need to get the Ladybug Miraculous back. I can go do that now,” she decided, glancing over towards Adrien’s house. 

“Er, wait!” Chat interjected suddenly, the emotions he’d shown earlier replaced with sudden anxiety. His calm smile was forced, Multimouse could tell, and his eyes held panic within them. “I know Adrien pretty well. I could go get them for you much faster!”

Multimouse could feel the blood in her veins freeze over. she turned a suspicious look on her partner. 

“How do you know who has the earrings?”

Chat blanched at the undertones in her voice, his eyes widening before he schooled his face into a calm mask. If Multimouse didn’t know him so well, she likely would have missed the movement. Instead, it made her even more wary. 

“Ladybug told me, of course!” Chat answered cheerily. Multimouse’s frown deepened. 

“Oh, yeah? When did she tell you that?” She deadpanned. 

“In her voicemail, which you wouldn’t have heard. She told me who she was choosing,” Chat replied quickly. A droplet of sweat slid down his temple. 

“If you say so,” Multimouse hummed. Chat grimaced briefly. 

“I do! Okay, bye!”

Without giving her a chance to say goodbye, Chat Noir scrambled away on all fours, his tail lashing wildly and leaving Multimouse with a horrible realization.

Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste. 

-

Once the thought crossed her mind, Multimouse couldn’t seem to find a way to  _ unthink _ it. It just made too much sense. 

Of course Adrien couldn’t accept the Ladybug Miraculous if he was Chat Noir. That was likely why he’d been so desperate to find her as Adrien. It also explained why Adrien had come to Marinette looking for answers; if he was Chat Noir, he knew Multimouse was Marinette.

Multimouse blanched at that bit in particular. When she’d fallen on top of him in his room the other night, Adrien had known exactly who she was!

Then, there were all the similarities between them. It felt like she was looking at the word through a new lens, and finally things were clear. What was once blurry and unclear became crisp and bright. Adrien  _ was _ Chat. Chat  _ was _ Adrien. They were one in the same. 

When Chat’s figure inevitably came back into view, hopping over rooftops on his baton, Multimouse felt her heart speed up uncomfortably. The pounding of her pulse only got worse the closer he came, and by the time he landed in front of her she felt almost faint. 

“One set of Miraculous earrings, courtesy of Adrien Agreste!” Chat spoke in lieu of a greeting, holding the little box out in front of her. 

Multimouse grabbed it an instant and held onto it tightly, not wanting to ever let go of it again. Tikki belonged by her side, and she would have her for as long as she could. 

Then, borrowing courage from the return of her Miraculous, Multimouse cleared her throat. 

“You know, Adrien, you could’ve just told me you were Chat Noir in the first place.”

Chat choked on his own spit, all sense of grand bravado lost. If Multimouse weren’t so ready to do the same, perhaps she would’ve laughed. 

“Wh-What?” Came his strangled reply. 

“You’re Adrien,” Multimouse declared, then frowned. “Adrien...” she repeated again. The name felt foreign on her tongue when she was speaking to Chat. 

She supposed she would have to get used to it. 

“Why do you think that?” Chat asked, still playing at his losing game of ignorance. Multimouse paused, taking a moment to comprehend what it would truly mean for her to answer. 

She took a deep breath. 

She was ready. 

“You said that Ladybug told you that Adrien was the new holder,” Multimouse began. Chat stared at her uncomprehendingly. 

“Yes? What about it?”

“Ladybug didn’t tell you that.”

“Well how would you...”

Chat trailed off, noticing the quirk of her lips. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he finally managed to make a sound. 

“It- It’s you!”

“It’s... me,” Multimouse smiled shyly. 

Chat continued to panic, running his hands through his hair and holding onto the ends tightly. Multimouse began to get nervous, wondering if perhaps he wasn’t as happy as she’d thought. 

“Bu… But, how?! I’ve seen Marinette and Ladybug in the same place! And if you  _ were _ Ladybug, why come up with this elaborate scheme of giving Adrien the earrings and becoming Multimouse?”

Before Chat could continue his rambling, Multimouse dropped her transformation and left Marinette standing in her place. Immediately Chat froze, but it was clear there were words sitting on the tip of his tongue. 

Marinette held up a hand, signalling for him to wait. Then, she opened up the little box containing her Miraculous. Immediately, Tikki sprang to life. The kwami looked around in confusion, before spotting the pair of them.

Tikki opened her mouth to speak, but when she caught the glimmer in Marinette’s eyes, she silenced herself with a small smile. Marinette put the earrings on carefully, relishing in their familiar weight. Then-

“Tikki, spots on!”

Red light washed over her, filling her with a sense of life and light that she’d missed so dearly. The black fabric of her blazer gave way to the red latex of her suit, and in a matter of moments, she was Ladybug again. 

“My Lady,” Chat breathed in wonder. 

“Chaton,” Ladybug smiled. Then, she remembered.

“This isn’t permanent. It’s still too dangerous to have the Ladybug and the Miracle Box in the same place. I had intended to make Adrien my replacement, but…” She trailed off with a shrug, looking up at the boy she now knew to be Adrien. 

“I’m honored that you thought so highly of me, but I think I have a solution that works for everyone,” Chat smiled warmly, lacing his hand with hers. Ladybug felt heat creeping up on her cheeks. She dazedly looked away before he could spot the blush. 

Her efforts were fruitless. Chat laughed softly and using his free hand, lifted up her chin until she was looking him in the eye. “Hey, you can trust me. We’re going to work this out,” he reassured. “So, this is what I thought we could do…”

-

Marinette had to say, her Chaton had some good ideas. She’d listened to his admittedly well-thought out alternative plan, and asked for the night to think about it. He’d agreed readily, giving her a tight hug and bidding her farewell. Marinette had stared after him as he vaulted home with a newfound realization of where exactly he was going. It was strangely… comforting. 

Once back in her bedroom, she gave Tikki a warm welcome home, full of hugs and tears and kisses on the cheek. It had only been a few days, but she’d missed her companion dearly. 

When things settled down, Marinette finally brought up the question that had been weighing over them.

“Chat thinks we can keep the box with someone we trust. That way we can both go get Miraculous when we need them, but the box is separate from our identities. What do you think of that?”

Tikki hummed thoughtfully. 

“It’s dangerous, that’s true. But not any more dangerous than having the Ladybug and Cat active. It… could work. Who did you have in mind?”

Marinette winced. That would be the harder sell of the two. “Now, hear me out..” She began. “I was thinking Alya. She’s proven we can trust her, and the fact that Hawkmoth knows her identity means he wouldn’t expect us to keep it with her. Besides, Hawkmoth would expect the box to be with Ladybug, not a civilian!”

“Hmm,” Tikki thought it over. “I’d like to see a trial period. You’d have to promise to be evasive when getting to the box. We can’t have a repeat of what happened with Fu.”

Marinette sighed. “I’ve learned my lesson. I’m never making that mistake again.”

  
  


“I trust you, Marinette. We’ll figure it out, no matter what.”

  
  


Marinette smiled. “Alright, Tikki. I’ll tell Chat in the morning, then.”

  
  


“Don’t you mean Adrien?” Tikki asked knowingly. Marinette blanched. 

“I suppose that’s going to take some getting used to. You’re not… upset, are you?” She asked, remembering just how important it had been to the kwami that their identities remain a secret. 

Tikki shook her head. “You’re the Guardian now. It’s your right to know, although it’s a bit unfortunate that he had to figure out your identity in the process. However, you’ve both grown so much recently, and I trust you to keep each other’s secrets. If it looks unsafe, we can always go back to the original plan.”

That was incentive enough not to risk identities. After all, Marinette had no inclination to give up the Ladybug Miraculous or her beloved kwami ever again.

With that settled, Marinette bid Tikki goodnight and went to sleep, much more at ease than she had been when she’d woken up that morning. 

-

School was torture with Adrien so tantalizingly near. It wasn’t safe to talk about their heroic side jobs in public, however, so Marinette had to settle for stolen glances and smiles of reassurance. When they passed each other in the hall, Marinette made sure to brush her hand by his to remind him that she hadn’t forgotten. 

“Alright, seriously. What’s up with longing looks? Did you two finally decide to get together and not tell me?” Alya finally asked after Adrien had turned around in his seat to sneak another glance at her.

In front of her, Marinette could see Adrien tense up. Marinette glanced at him suspiciously, wondering just how much of their conversations he could hear. She could almost picture a pair of cat ears sitting atop his head, up and alert. 

It was funny how easily her mind accepted the truth, and even began to fill in the blanks for her. Now it all seemed so obvious; how could she not have noticed sooner? The two of them were simply extensions of one whole. 

“We… talked,” Marinette finally answered. She was careful to keep her words vague for Alya’s sake, and she was wary of just how much attention Adrien was paying attention to her. 

_ “Girl!” _ Alya’s voice jumped up a whisper octave, making Marinette flinch. She could practically feel Adrien’s attention on them. “You  _ told _ him about your feelings?!”

“What?! No!” Marinette replied hurriedly. “How do you get that from  _ we talked?!” _

Alya narrowed her eyes. “What else am I supposed to think, with the dramatic pauses and weird glances! If not that, what else could you have talked about?”

“I’ll… I’ll tell you later,” Marinette replied awkwardly, with no intention of the aforementioned  _ later. _ This all hovered a little too closely to secret identities for comfort. 

“Ladies, quiet please!” Ms. Mendeleiev snapped, effectively bringing their conversation to a halt. Marinette released her breath and refocused on the lesson.

-

She had scarcely been home for ten minutes when Marinette heard tapping against the glass of her skylight. Immediately, she went up to let Chat Noir in. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be at a fencing lesson right now?” Marinette asked with a raised eyebrow. Chat grimaced. 

“Kagami will cover for me. Besides, this is more important,” he shrugged. Marinette nodded in understanding.

“So? What did Tikki say?”

Marinette could see the eager hopefulness in his eyes. She began to feel guilty for keeping him in the dark all day, despite the fact that they couldn’t have talked anyway. She could imagine that if she had been on the other end of things, waiting and not knowing would have been absolute torture. 

“She agreed, so long as we knew that we would have to revert to the original plan if things start looking unsafe,” Marinette explained. 

“Completely understandable,” Chat nodded swiftly. “We’ll discuss that if it comes to it. For now, anything is better than what happened before.”

“Agreed, Chaton,” Marinette smiled. “I hope you know I didn’t want to give up being Ladybug, I just… I figured if I couldn’t be her, Adrien was the next best choice. Of course, I ended up choosing my partner,” she laughed. “It just proves we make a great team, I suppose.”

“You and me against the world,” Chat echoed, recalling the words that had come to mean so much to her. Then, his expression turned nervous. “I, um… sorry if this is a dumb question, but may I hug you?”

Marinette felt heat rush to her cheeks at the thought of being so close to him, but another part of her felt… excited. He wanted to  _ hug _ her! And  _ she _ wanted to hug  _ him! _

“Of course, Chat. You never have to ask,” she answered softly. 

“It’s just, I was really scared, you know? And touch- touch is really important to me. I like knowing you’re here and you’re safe- wait, really?” Chat’s jaw dropped as he stared at her with wide eyes. Marinette nodded.

Slowly at first, as if afraid she would revoke his permission, and then more confidently Chat moved forward and pulled her into his arms. Marinette wrapped her arms around him tightly in return, breathing in the scent of leather and sandalwood-and-vanilla scented shampoo. 

“I’m so happy I found you, my lady,” Chat whispered quietly.

“I am too, mon chaton. I won’t ever leave you again, I promise,” Marinette answered, giving him a tight squeeze. 

When they finally pulled away from each other, Chat’s expression was more content than it had been just moments before. He had hidden the anxiety well, however, If she hadn’t seen the relaxed expression afterwards, Marinette doubted she would’ve known he’d been tense at all. 

The thought made her sad. He probably didn’t get many hugs at home, and the way he’d sounded earlier made her believe he showed and received love through touch. She made a silent vow to never let him feel like he had to ask for one ever again. 

  
  


“You know, Adrien,” she started. In an instant his eyes were on her, softening as they took her in. Marinette fought off a blush and tried to continue. “You don’t ever have to ask my permission to be close to me. I happen to love hugs, especially when they’re from you.”

Chat ducked his gaze shyly, but she could hear the smile in his voice when he quietly responded with “okay.”

“I suppose we should get this box to Alya, now,” Marinette spoke up a moment later, looking at the red and black spotted box. “The sooner we can get this settled the better.”

“Mhmm,” Chat agreed. “But first, can we talk about those feelings Alya mentioned earlier? Because I have some feelings of my own I’d like to express.”

Marinette’s gaze snapped back to her partner to find him grinning smugly at her. Her skin flushed hotly, and she rolled her eyes in a desperate attempt to hide her budding excitement.

“...I’m listening.” 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments appreciated <3
> 
> Thank you to the [Miraculous Fanworks Server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) for their endless encouragement and love of Miraculous! 
> 
> Another big thank you to [the Beef Server!](https://discord.gg/GtE7UvS) Screaming about accidentally typing been as beef in this fic was great, haha. Love y’all. 
> 
> If you want to join either of these servers, click on the link! We'd be happy to have you


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